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A method for optimizing net positive suction head required of axial‐flow pumps has been proposed by the present author, which is based on the two‐dimensional potential flow model and without considering the tip gap effect. The objective of the paper is to confirm if the method is just and feasible for the case of viscous fluid flow in impellers with tip gap.

A series of steady, three‐dimensional, noncavitating and cavitating, turbulent, incompressible flows of water through two axial‐flow pump impellers were calculated by using CFD code Fluent. The two impellers included a reference one with constant circulation at outlet and an optimized one with variable circulation designed with the author's method and code. In computations, the throttling and unthrottling approaches were used, respectively. Comparison of hydraulic performance, averaged flow variables at the impeller inlet and exit, flow in the tip gap, flow variables on blade surfaces and suction performance between the optimized and reference impellers was made.

It was confirmed that the optimized impeller has better hydraulic and suction performances. The method for optimizing with variable flow circulation profile along blade span at the outlet to impeller is proper and practical. Additionally, an unstable regime in the head curves of two impellers is presented. In the regime, a stall occurs on the pressure side of the blade and a hysteresis exists, which causes a hysteresis‐loop.

The effect of suction entry on flow is represented approximately by using a free‐vortex and uniform axial velocity. The diffusing component behind the impellers is not taken into account. The unsteadiness of flow is not considered, which would have a connection with stall pattern in an axial‐flow impeller.

The hydraulic and suction performances and flow variables of two axial‐flow pump impellers with tip clearance are obtained successfully with CFD. Stall and hysteresis as well as hysteresis‐loop in head curve are observed by using throttling and unthrottling approaches.

An approach is presented for the development of a predictive maintenance system for rotor‐dynamic pumps, which focuses on the diagnosis of abnormal events related to fluid‐dynamic operating conditions. This methodology is based on an experimental characterization of the dynamic response of the pump under different loads and operation anomalies. The procedure has been put into practice on a medium‐sized centrifugal pump. The results obtained show that a simple spectral analysis of the pressure signals captured at either the inlet or the outlet of the pump can provide sufficient decision criteria to constitute the basis for a diagnostic system. This was not true however when analyzing signals of acceleration at the pump casing.

High head gates are commonly used in hydropower plants for flow regulation and emergence closure. Hydrodynamic downpull can be a critical parameter in design of the lifting mechanism. The purpose of this paper is to show that a simplified two-dimensional (2D) computational fluid dynamics solution can be used in the prediction of the downpull force on the gate lip by comparison of computed results to experimentally measured data.

In this study, ANSYS FLUENT CFD software was used to obtain 2D numerical solution for the flow field around a generic gate model located in a power intake structure which was previously used in an experimental study. Description of the flow domain, computational grid resolution, requirements on setting appropriate boundary conditions and methodology in describing downpull coefficient are discussed. Total number of 245 simulations for variable gate lip geometry and gate openings were run. The downpull coefficient evaluated from the computed pressure field as function of gate opening and lip angle are compared with the experimental results.

The computed downpull coefficient agrees well with the previous experimental results, except one gate with small lip angle where a separation bubble forms along the lip, which is responsible from this deviation. It is observed that three-dimensional (3D) effects are confined to the large gate openings where downpull is minimum or even reversed.

In large gate openings, three dimensionality of the flow around gate slots plays an important role and departure from 2D solutions become more pronounced. In that case, one might need to perform a 3D solution instead.

This paper presents a very fast and accurate way to predict downpull force on high head gates in the absence of experimental data.

An extensive amount of simulations are run within the scope of this study. It is shown that knowing its limitations, 2D numerical models can be used to calculate downpull for a wide range of gate openings without the need of expensive experimental models.